Mr & Mrs Uchiha mission: BLACK SAKURA

Chapter 5: Back to the Past

Sakura and Sasuke landed hard on the ground, the impact forcing grunts of pain from both of them. Sakura held her side as she pushed herself up, her body aching from the sudden jolt. Sasuke, lying beside her, grimaced as he sat up slowly.

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked, her voice tight with concern.

"Yeah," Sasuke replied, his brow furrowed as he glanced around. "But our chakra... it's drained."

Sakura checked herself and quickly realized the same. "I can't feel my chakra either. We must have used too much energy when the scroll pulled us in."

They stood up, dusting themselves off. Right in front of them was the familiar entrance to Konoha, but something was off. As they looked up at the Hokage Monument, they froze.

"There are only four faces," Sakura whispered, staring at the mountain. "This is... we really are in the past."

Sasuke frowned, his eyes narrowing. "The village... it looks different too. Less developed, simpler. There's no sign of the newer technology from our time."

They both realized at once—they had successfully traveled back to the era when they were still genin. The Hokage faces were of Hashirama, Tobirama, Hiruzen, and Minato. This was the time just after Tsunade has become Hokage and before many of the advancements they were familiar with existed.

Before they could fully process this, a group of shinobi suddenly appeared around them, weapons drawn. "Who are you?" one of the shinobi demanded, his tone cold and suspicious. "Why are you dressed like that, and why are you hiding your faces?"

Sakura and Sasuke, still drained of their chakra, exchanged glances. Without their abilities, resisting wasn't an option. They raised their hands slowly in surrender.

"We're not enemies," Sasuke said evenly, though his voice was laced with irritation. "We're here on an important mission."

The shinobi didn't budge. "Identify yourselves. We don't take strangers lightly, especially ones who conceal their identities."

Knowing they couldn't reveal their true selves just yet, Sakura spoke calmly. "We're from a distant village. We've come to speak with the Hokage about an urgent matter."

The shinobi eyed them warily but lowered his weapon slightly. "You'll come with us. We'll let the Hokage decide what to do with you."

With no other option, Sakura and Sasuke allowed themselves to be escorted into the village. As they walked through the familiar streets, memories of their younger days rushed back. The village felt smaller, quieter, almost nostalgic. Konoha was bustling, but not with the same sense of urgency or modernity they were used to.

Soon, they were led into the Hokage's office. Behind the desk sat Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, her stern gaze immediately locking onto the two cloaked figures. Her presence was commanding as always, and her assistant Shizune stood by her side, looking equally serious.

"Who are they?" Tsunade asked, her eyes narrowing.

"They won't reveal their identities, but they claim they've come on an urgent mission," one of the shinobi explained.

Tsunade leaned forward, studying the two figures carefully. "An urgent mission, huh? And what village are you from?"

Sasuke remained silent, knowing they couldn't say too much. Sakura, being more familiar with Tsunade, took a step forward. "We can't explain everything right now. But we need your help. The village... the future... depends on it."

Tsunade's eyes sharpened at the mention of the future, but she didn't react immediately. "I don't have time for riddles," she said, her voice firm. "If you don't give me a straight answer, I'll have you thrown in prison."

Before Sakura could say more, Shizune stepped forward. "Tsunade-sama, perhaps we should hear them out? If what they say is true..."

Tsunade stared hard at them before letting out a sigh. "Alright, fine. We'll talk in private. Everyone else, leave the room."

The room cleared, leaving only Tsunade, Shizune, Sakura, and Sasuke. Sakura reached up and pulled back her hood, revealing her face. Tsunade's eyes widened slightly in shock. "Sakura?" she murmured, her voice filled with confusion.

Sasuke followed suit, pulling back his hood, and Tsunade's surprise deepened. "Sasuke... How is this...?"

"It's a long story," Sakura said softly, "but we've come from the future."